American Express / bill due date strangely shifted

I've been an Amex customer for nearly a decade, and have run tens of thousands of dollars through their cards. There's always a standing offer of a Platinum card, but I haven't taken it and here's why:

I do not trust them as a company. Aside from the fine print that has fine print that burned me on a balance transfer years ago, here's my current greivance:

My billing cycle closing date mysteriously "shifted" after it was supposed to close, to extend an extra day to include a large charge. I checked about 5 times in the two weeks leading up to this charge, confirming that their website indicated a bill cycle closure on July 20th. I then charged a rather expensive item on Monday, July 21st so as to give myself extra time to pay.

Lo and behold, I go to check the bill today, and now the billing closure date mysteriously "changed" from a typical 30 day cycle (the 20th) to have an extra day to include this new charge, which should have been on a new, July 21st to August 21st cycle.

I can pay it today or in August, that's besides the point. The gist is: I paid attention to their website, properly placed a large purchase to get it on the next open cycle, and then the cycle changed on my AFTER the charge was made. I spoke with 3 representatives (1 a supervisor) all of whom say they've never seen that before and it's "impossible" that it would happen. They say I am liable for the charge this month, not the next.

I don't disagree with them not seeing it have happened before, but I know what I saw, repeatedly, on my web account: closure date of July 20th, 30 day cycle as usual, for months and months and months. Suddenly, after the fact, it's a 31 day cycle and nicks this extra purchase. Something changed on their side.

I never miss payments, I've paid in full no matter large or small. This is not worth burning a longtime customer over, and they've done just that.

Comments

I don't know what is happening at AMEX. They are spiraling downward. I always schedule my payment on the day its due. Been doing it for 10 years with AMEX.

3 days ago my card started declining. I called them and was informed that I was past due. I pointed out that the payment wasn't due until DEC 20th, another 5 days away. I showed them the already scheduled payment for that day.

They gave me some ### that I have to start paying ahead of time from now on. I don't know what they are up to at AMEX, but it is getting worse by the day.

We will never use AMEX again. They are willfully screwing their customers and the word is getting out.

PS: This is how they screwed us last month
http://amexcreditreduction.blogspot.com/

I haven't had that problem before, but I have noticed that the month to month "Due dates" or "please pay by" have been shifting. My period ends on the 8th of the month. My usual due date printed on the statement is usually the 2nd. But I have been noticing that at the end of the quarter (December, March, etc) this date is shifted back about 10 days. I have called CSR a couple times to confirm this, and its the same answer, "you will not be over due until the start of the next billing cycle." No one can seem to answer why the date on the statement changes.

I think American Express is trying to get unknowing customers to pay their bills before the end of the quarter to pad their financial statements. Not that I really care about their quarterly balance sheets, but the annoyance is that their website doesn't give you an option to pay after the "please pay by" date.

American Express is the evil empire. I wouldn't normally use such strong language, but I have experienced everything mentioned above (change in due dates, not being able to schedule payments online after the due date, etc.) plus 30% interest rates, daily phone calls when I'm only a couple days behind, and ridiculous lines of questioning a year ago when I was late on a payment - every time they called they asked me if I could "borrow money from a sibling" to pay the bill. None of my other accounts treat me like I'm a child. It's demeaning.

I also shop at a boutique that recently stopped taking American Express because of their own difficulties with them. One day their pay-over-time charges were suddenly shifted to DUE IMMEDIATELY, with no warning. Suddenly their bill was unfeasible, overnight. How is that even legal??